


Happy Song

by TheChief, YourForever



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I'm Sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 08:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4780193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChief/pseuds/TheChief, https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourForever/pseuds/YourForever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I've had enough. There's a voice in my head, says I'm better off dead, but if I sing along a little fucking louder to a happy song, I'll be alright.<br/>~<br/>Everybody was born with eight limbs, two heads, and two hearts, but the great god Zeus was afraid of them, so he split them in two and cursed them to wander the world in search of their other half.<br/>~<br/>Every now and again, we get that feeling and the great big void inside us opens up and I really wish you could help, but my head is like a carousel and I'm going round in circles.<br/>~<br/>But Aphrodite felt sorry for humans and gifted them with her touch, gave them hope. They would hear, she decided, the voice of their other half, but only when their name was spoken. And they would know.<br/>~<br/>Don't wake us up, we'd rather keep dreaming 'cause the nightmares in our heads are bad enough.<br/>~<br/>Calum knows. He's right, he's sure of it. He knows without a doubt who his soulmate is. Except. Maybe not.<br/>~<br/>We are possessed. We're all fucked in the head, alone and depressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Song

It's been Cal and Mikey together forever.

They'd shared toys on the first day of school and, though Michael had initially ignored him, Calum had won. He'd worked his way inside the other boy's good graces, choosing to play with him on the playground when his other friends are all calling for him. He even shares some of the cookies his mum makes. The ones Mikey absolutely loves. Even manages to talk Joy into baking a whole batch for the older boy's birthday.

And then they're thirteen and going through the school's naming program when he hears it first.

 _Cal_  

Except it fades after that and Calum is vaguely confused because it definitely sounded like it was in the middle of a sentence, but he hadn't heard it in his ears, more like a soft echo in the back of his mind and he shrugs it off because the teacher is telling them all about the naming process and passing out books to everyone. Books that list some of the most common names in the country, to get a feel for them. To see if any of them find one they connect with.

And it happens again.

_Calum Hood_

And he knows that voice, finds it familiar and comforting and confusing all at once.

He doesn't open the book, doesn't look at the names because he's more interested in hearing the voice again. And he does.

It's two hours later and he's on his way to lunch when he hears, behind him, "excuse me, sorry, can I just get through?" All chopped up and breathy and it sounds like Michael's been running so Calum turns and leans back against the lockers to wait.

" _Calum_!" And he saw Mikey say his name that time. He knows he did, but he also felt it in the back of his head and his eyes go wide at that.

They make it through lunch and it slowly sinks in as Calum continues through his afternoon classes before heading home - Mikey had to go to his own house to walk Federer - and he looking into the papers the teachers had given him on the naming process and why they were going through all these names. What this other person would mean to them one day.

He ignores the last few paragraphs and instead skips dinner and curls up in his bed, whispering "Mikey," under his breath until he falls asleep, hoping beyond hope that Clifford would notice.

The next morning at school, Calum is early, eager, expecting Michael will come up to him in shock and yeah sure, he  _knows_ what they were supposed to be for each other one day, but they're best friends, they'll work it out.

But Michael is late as usual and he acts as though nothing happened after he does show up and Calum is very confused because he  _knows_ that's Michael's voice. Can hear the echo everytime his best friend speaks. But when he says it back, when he spends the break between classes saying Michael's name repeatedly, he doesn't flinch. He doesn't hear it.

Calum decides Michael just needs more time to catch up. That he's just ahead of him and one day they'll laugh about this. They're best friends. They'll get through it.

* * *

 

By the time they're fifteen, everybody is referring to it as soulmate radio. Who cares if that's an actual station on the radio? This is more entertaining to them.

A few kids in school have already found their soulmates. Kids who walk around gladly, holding hands and absolutely attached to their other.

And Calum has learned to tune it out.

Originally, he'd been one of the early ones and he'd just been waiting for Michael to catch up, but then he'd wanted to tell him and he'd invited Michael over for Fifa, but Mikey had paused the game and announced that he'd heard his name. Except Calum hadn't said it. He knew that. He'd called him a few other things, but not his name and he didn't think the Gift covered curse words, but he supposed he could've been wrong.

And then Michael had heard it again and Calum knew he hadn't said it, and how did that make sense? He'd gotten caught up in the problem and it had taken his best friend - his soulmate - saying his name again to get attention.

"Dude, aren't you... aren't you happy for me? Is this because I got mine first? Cause I mean, sorry. Maybe you're just a late bloomer. You'll get yours soon, I swear."

And Calum had forced a smile and laughed it off because this was Michael's big moment.

So he tuned it out. It took a year and a half to perfect it and sometimes he still slips, is scalded by the whisper in the back of his mind, the promise, as Michael calls out to him from across the cafeteria.

"Okay, so there's this fucker in my music class. Pretentious little prick. I can't stand the kid. Blonde hair and big blue eyes. He's got the teacher fucking mooning over him practically. Bet he can't even play." And Calum smirks.

"Challenge him to a guitar dual. Maybe you'll get your angel to cheer you on." Because that was what he'd heard Michael refer to his soulmate as. His angel because he didn't think he deserved another person as his soulmate.

And Calum wanted was best for Michael. He did. They were best friends. But he wasn't in the mood and Mikey can tell it in his voice and his brow furrows in confusion and frustration.

"I don't know what your problem is, but if this is because you're still angry because I got my voice and you didn't then I'm sorry, _Cal._ I'm really truly sorry, okay? I'd jump at the chance to be the voice in your head, but I'm sure yours is coming." But Calum was the last person in their grade who hadn't stepped up and announced that they'd heard their soulmate and Cal wasn't going to announce his. Ever.

Michael sighed, looking down at his food for a moment and shaking his head. "I'm heading home early. Text me." And normally he invited Calum - though he always said no, "I've got footie today, I've told you Mikey." - but today he didn't, just left, his tray on Calum's table and the Kiwi didn't even call out.

And Calum wanted what was best for Mikey. He did. they were best friends. But sometimes he viciously hoped that Mikey's angel would choke on their words.

* * *

 

And the kid's actually in the year below them. Calum realizes first, sees the kid heading into third year math and third year music, but second year spanish and he sits back. Michael had talked about him enough. Luke. His name was Luke. Calum had taken a bit to make the connection, but he'd gotten there. _  
_

So Cal mentions it to Mikey in passing, happens to also mention that he's actually really good at playing music. He'd googled the name - couldn't help but be curious as to who it was Mikey spent so much time loathing - and come across the kid's YouTube channel.

He was good. Really good. And Cal and Mike had been talking about starting a band for years now so Cal mentioned it to Michael who immediately shot him down.

Twenty minutes later he'd been crooning on about the angel saying his name again and Cal had asked a friend of a friend and gotten his hands on the kid's - Luke's - number.

A fifteen minute text conversation and they were spending their free hour in the music room, talking guitars and Cal showed a little of his bass skill off and Luke sang along and Calum felt more relaxed, not having to worry about his name being said.

He loved Michael. They were best friends. Always would be. But sometimes, he just wanted to step back and breathe.

* * *

 

"One time." And that's all he'd really needed. Calum had gotten Michael to agree and had brought Luke in and he'd played a song with him and then forced Michael to play a song with him and it had really been quite easy after that.

Especially when during their third practice, Luke had actually spoken - and not just at Calum this time.

He'd suggested a song and when Michael and made a rude comment, Calum had tensed, prepared to spit out a rebuttal, but Luke had replied, too quickly, with, "Fuck off, Michael." And he'd said MIchael and not Clifford and MIkey's eyes had gotten wide and he'd spent the rest of the day glaring at Luke while they practiced, though he hadn't fought anymore.

That night, after Luke had left, Michael confessed everything over pizza. How he'd assumed the strange feeling he'd had when he'd met Luke was due to the fact that the kid was a prick and then it was because he was trying to take his best friend - and Cal had almost laughed at that one because hello, no - but then that practice, he'd realized because Luke had finally said his name in his presence. He'd also asked that maybe he could talk to Luke alone next practice and Cal had agreed and they'd gone back to eating pizza.

Calum hadn't talked much.

He'd also skipped the next practice with the excuse that he was out looking for a drummer. What are friend's for?

* * *

 

Everyone thought he was one of those unlucky ones. The ones without the voices whispering their names. He didn't know how to tell them otherwise, not when he had that voice. He did. It was just that the other person didn't hear his voice.

He hadn't been the first in his position, it was just that the odds of his problem were even rarer than not having a voice and he didn't want to get attention because Michael would be pissed that he hadn't said something sooner.

Of course, that would be if he got himself away from Luke.

Their latest practice had consisted of Michael whispering some dumb joke and nuzzling into Luke's neck while they were supposed to be picking songs because Calum had managed to get them a real gig as a band and Luke had come up with a name and Michael was just  _so_ proud.

Calum had finally given up on being productive and pulled out his phone to message a friend about another friend who maybe possibly knew his way around a drum kit.

* * *

 

"Ashton's in the band."

"Agreed."

"No one asked me."

"Shut up, Luke." Except his voice was teasing and he pressed a kiss to the corner of the blonde's mouth and Calum was tired of hearing half formed songs about that mouth and those eyes he turned on his heel and marched off to give Ashton the good news.

* * *

 

"Are you okay?" Ashton's voice was soft.

Calum nodded his head and gave a sleepy smile.

He couldn't talk to Ashton. Ashton had heard his name at fourteen. She'd had an American accent. He'd found her on their first world tour, with One Direction, at the age of nineteen. Ashley something or other.

They were funny and acted more like friends than a couple, but Calum figured that was understandable considering the fact that she was technically engaged to some Dun kid from an up and coming band. It was complicated.

Calum didn't want to share his news with Ash. Ashton had his own problems with the soulmate game so Cal kept up his smile, and stood up to head to his bunk, running into Michael on the way.

The purple haired boy had been heading out of the back lounge, probably for food and he could hear Luke shouting for something from the back. Must be movie night. Ash would join them. Calum never did.

"You okay, dude? You're acting... weird." Michael's voice was soft. "Did I piss you off? Something with Luke and I?"

And Cal shook his head, forced his smile not to crack, to look sleepy and soft and cuddly. To look normal. "Nah, we're all good. Just tired. Been a long week. Fifa marathon tomorrow? Luke can play loser?"

Michael gave a relieved grin and pulled Cal in for a hug. "Of course. Thanks."

"What are friends for?"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.
> 
> My tumblr is [here](http://ffs-muke-eatme.tumblr.com) so feel free to come yell at me there... Feed back is always welcome.


End file.
